Header pick-up



Feb. 5, 1935.

L. H. THOEN HEADER PICK-UP Filed Nov. 2, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 5, 1935. l., H. THOEN HEADER PICK-UP Filed Nov. 2, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INI/EN TOR Qa/ h. 7h00/7 Feb. 5, 1935. l., H, ATHQEN 1,990,054

HEADER PICK-UP Filed Nov. 2, 1927 5 sheets-sheet 3 A TTORNE YS Patented Feb. 5, 1935 d HEADER-Piemon Y 'powe1 1 .n.'rrhoen, stocktaoalif., assignor, by

l mesne assignments, to Caterpillar. Tractor Co.,

vSan Leandro,` Cali/ !a corporation of 'California' "'Apriiatitn'itovember 2,1927. serial No; 230,458

'- '1o claims. (c1. stp-364)' e c `jf Fig. 2 is a cross section vonthe line .i2-2 of e.

the field infwindrowsrf -f Under some Vcc'm'ditions 'of grain harvesting, sometimesI due to the condition of `thefgrain itself,

` it is advisable to "out thef'grainand permit it to "liein windrows-upon-the eld to cure; After it 4l0 is cured it is threshedi: ASuch:circumstances pre- Uclude the use ofthe rdinarycombined harvester which is capableo'nlyV 'ofi' cutting standing grain .and 'threshingitas it is' cut.` i In the copending applicationfof Jacob' Clove,v Serial-No. 186,138, entitled Pick-upheaden-'which issued-as Patent No'. 1,891,748, ony December'20,v 1932," there is shown aV machine whichv is'lcapableof picking up grain lying in windrows in lthe eld and-'delivering it to a1threshingumechanism.fWhile this machine 'performs its v functions admirably, the headerportion-of vitis `a unit entirely separate andl distinct' from' the standard-header of a combinedharvester and in'order to have'the advantages 'ofthis pick-up, auser mustvobtain a com- 'y plete pick-up header. This requires the 'investvmerit of aconsiderable amount of capital.y Unlessa user has both a standard header and a pick-up header, he' is cnsiderably' handicapped in 'the ways 'I' in vvwhich he vcan' handle his Vv"grain .30 cropfa'nd cannott'r'eat itwith the flexibility po'ssible if he had both of theiinits; f

l It is .therefore anfobject of my invention to 1 provide an-` attachment to a' Vstandard header which win affqrr'iyttne attributesv Vofra pick-up 1 5 f header.i

' .mother obj'eet of my'i'nvetionfi improvise a header pick-up readily detachablefrom and atl'driving power therefrom. '1 u y l My invention possesses other" advantageous tachable toa standard headerjand derivingfits U "features some ofy whichwith the foregoingfwill beset forth at -length inv the following descripof] thepick-up headerjof lmy inventiongwhich Ihave 5 f selected 'for"illustr`ation iny the drawings v"accomtion'-vs'rherey I 4shall outline in full'that for 'panyi'ng and'forming partfof the present specification.V In said drawingsI have'shown onefform of header l pickf-up embodying 'my invention,'`but "'it"isf to'be'nders'tdthat I 'do not limitrnyself 'D0 to suchform l since the invention, as set forth in the-claims may"'b embodied in a plurality of forms.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan'of the header pick-up of my Fig. 3 is accross section of 1 o n the" line Fig.f4 is ian enlarged detail ofthe tangs ofj "the pick-up mechanism, theplaneofsection be- 'ing indicated by 1inef4-4 of Fig. 3. i

lFig. 5 isla cross section onlthe line 5-5 of Fig.4. w*

In its'kpreferred form, thehea'der` pick-up of lmy invention preferably comprises 'pick-up mechanism detachably secured' to and driven "from a header whichis standard except that the i' a hook 8 designed tubeV engaged with a thresher lunit of a combined harvester 'andhavng'at its other end a ground engaging wheel 9. Secured vto the axle byv beams 11 are angles '1 2 nested to form'channels' for adraper 13. The draper preferablyfcomprises. asiscustomary, acontinuous belt having an upper run 14 anda lower'run 16.

The draperlextends yforthe full length of the framework 6 and discharges at one Ven dinto the 'feeder hou`senot shown,1of the combined harvester. 1,

4Running parallel to the draper is a Lbackboard 17 erecteduponuprights"18 forming a portion of theframework 6.' The '.backboard' uprights are braced by struts 19 .extending to' the 'beamsl `11.

Pivotally mounted at Awidely separated ypoints on the framework' at the upper ends of the uprights 18 are a pairofjreelbeams 2 1.v I'he'reel beams are maintainedin any selected position by rods k22 secured Yat their lowerendsto the framework V6 and piercedat their upper ends yina'pluralityof placesto receivefastening bolts23. By suitably 1 positioning' the vbolts 2 3` inthe apertures, the forward endsv of the reel beams can be raised or lowered to the desired extent to'give thepreferred fadjustme'ntoffthe reel.: Y*

' In a lstandard header, the reel, not -shownis `journa1ed on' lthe reel beams121 proximate the Y forwardends, as at 24. The reel ris drivenin a clockwise direction, in Fig.v2,` by a chain2f3 which engages a sprocket on theV end, of vthe reel-'shaft and also is in engagement witliasprocket 27 on a Ajack, shaft 28 secured to the upper portion of the framework 6. A second chain 29 connects the jack shaft with the main shaft 31 driven from the thresher portion of the combined harvester and which also drives the sickle and the draper. As so far described, the header is a typical, standard construction.

When the header pick-up of my invention is attached to a standard header, the standard reel is rst removed. In the space ordinarily occupied by at least a portion of the reel, I place the pick-up mechanismfor lifting the grain from windrows ony the ground and conveying itto` the draper. This mechanism preferably includes a pick-up framework 36 comprising usually ward extensions 37 fastened to the beams 11 by nuts and bolts 38 and carrying skids 391er conftacting with the ground. To reinforce thestruc ture, braces 41 are connected attheir'lower ends to the skids 39 and extend` rearwardly overthe draper to the uprights 18 of the backboard. The

fastenings between the uprights' and the braces y 44 forming a traclpa-reia-lixed.` AV pair. of cross shafts 46 and 4'7 carrying sprockets 48 adjacent the end boards are journaledwithin the connes `of the track. Around eachpair of -sprockets is mounted a chain 49 carrying-at intervals thereon journals forithe reception of cross bars 50rextending preferably for the width of the pickfup mechanism.. Each end of each-cf the bars 50 is provided with a crank 5-1 to which is aiiixed -a roller 52 runningr in the track ,formed by the angles 43V and 44. Inasmuch as the.` track contour and the contour of the chain 49` are not similar, there is a. rotary motion ,imparted to the progressing bars 50l asthe-vsprockets 48r rotate.V M

Tangs 53 are mounted at intervals thruoutthe length of each of the bars, 5'0.. The tangs preferably are formed by aY single length of. wire clamped at its midportiontothebar and .spirally wound about the bar to` formY a coil spring 54. The end of thek coil spring is permittedto project from the bar in substantially a tangential direction and is pointed at its tip to form la yielding, resilient tang..` Upon4 rotation .off the vsprockets 48, the tangs are moved in a circuit ffro'm near the ground, along the upper side of the pick-upmechanism, and. over the top thereof to discharge any grain. they may have engaged onto the draper 1ying immediately below. The rotation imparted to the bars-l during the movement` of the. chain is effective in withdrawing the tangs from engagen ment with grain being discharged over the brink of the pick-up mechanism.

To make the fullest use of the mechanism available on a` standard header and also to" aord a convenient means for driving theheader 'pick-up of my invention,l I preferably install a reversing gear 56 on one' of the reel beams 21 in approximately the position 24 previously occupied by a journal for thereel. The chain 26 is engaged with a sprocket 57 forming part of the change gear and' drives in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 2, a sprocket 58. This' propels a chain 59 in engagement with anotherVv sprocket 61 mounted to turn the. shaft 46. The standard reel drive is thus reversed` in directionfand is connected to my pick-up mechanism Vso that Ythe pick-up mechanism is driven at the-proper rate of speed and in the proper direction as the harvester is advanced.

It will be appreciated that with my invention, a relatively cheap header pick-up is provided by mechanism which utilizes the principal part of a standard header and which can easily and quickly be attached and detached therefrom, thereby economically affording a user a great degree of iiexibility in the method of handling his grain. I. claim: g 1. The combination wtlrv a. mobile combined harvesterLthreshr having a header, a draper on said header, frame means extending forwardly over said draper, and reel driving means carried by sadframe means, of a pick-up unit connected to said header. in front of said draper instead of the reel, said pick-up unit being positioned below Isaid,framemeans, and a driving connection extending downwardly from said reel driving means to said; pick-up unit.`

d, 21A A header pick-up comprising a header frame including a draper, ground skids projecting from said frame-,.albra on. saint skids extending; rearvvardl-y over saidl and: mnnected to said frame, andpickmpmechanism supported by said skids and brace.

3. A header pick-up comprising #header frame, a draper onsaid frame, ground skidsy projecting from the leading edge of. said frammbraces extending from said skids, to said frame rearwardly oversaid draper, `and pick-upl mechanism wholly supported. by said skids andbraoes.

41. In a harvester, a.: hea-den. comprising a.I first frame tosupport adr'aper and a sickle, and. a

a second'frame to support a boekhoud and a reel,

6. Ina harvester, a header .frame having upfr -rights thereon-,.- a. .pick-up frame a-ttachalilel to said trame and sind'uprights-in` a positioninclin withrespect to the ground.

7... In al harvester, a header frameaa.' reel frame thereon, a pick-up mechanism `onsaid header vframe' and driving means therefor on said reel frame. f Y

8. In aharvester',.aheader frame, :an auxiliary frame thereon,. a pick-up mechanism on. said ,header and driving meansgfor'said pick-up on said auxiliary frame.

9'. .In a harvester, a headerframe, al1-.auxiliary frame attached thereto, mem-,for adjusting. the position of said auxiliary frame .relative to said header frame, a pick-up mechanism, and achain and sprocketl .dri-ve, therefor mounted on said auxiliary frame.v

10. The combination with a. mobile combined harvester-thresher having a standard header adapted/to support a reel,l of a piek-up.l unit detachably connectedtoswidheader instead of the reel, said pick-up unit comprising lframe mem- -bers, a pick-up. comprising. an endless series of carried by said members andadapted to move adjacent` the ground for collecting material from the'g-round, means for moving the tangs in a closed path, and means. for imparting to said tangsduring such movement an additional angular movement when the tangs are adjacent the 

